


Absence

by RuArcher (Coriesocks)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Coming Out, Light Angst, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 07:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15814590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coriesocks/pseuds/RuArcher
Summary: Based on this prompt: Scorpius gets sent off to Durmstrang after y3 with no explanation, Albus is really sad his friend is gone, y7 starts and Scorpius is suddenly back, and puberty did him gooood.





	Absence

Albus stared out of the window as the Hogwarts Express raced through the countryside. Around him, Rose and her friends were chatting excitedly, eager to get back to school and start their seventh year, but he couldn’t quite summon the same enthusiasm. Sure, he was excited to heading back to Hogwarts, but it had never felt the same after Scorpius had left for good after their third year. 

Scorpius had been his best, and only, friend for his first three years of Hogwarts, and when Albus had found out—only  _ after _ Scorpius hadn’t shown up for the start of their fourth year—that Scorpius’ father had transferred him to another school, it had felt like a piece of his soul had been torn from his body. The fact that Scorpius hadn’t even told him he was leaving hurt Albus more deeply than he could express in words, and Fourth year had been impossibly hard for him. His dad had even arranged for him to see a mind healer to help him talk through his feelings of abandonment and betrayal. And it wasn’t until his Dad made use of his clout with the Ministry, and with the Wizarding world as a whole, that they’d eventually found out that Scorpius had transferred to Durmstrang and wasn’t able to be contacted. 

The knowledge that he was at least alive helped a small bit, but not being able to speak to Scorpius even by owl was tough to get over. In fact, Albus was pretty sure he wasn’t over it. Things had got much better, and he wasn’t without friends at school, but it wasn’t the same; there wasn’t anyone he was especially close with and he still largely felt like an outsider.

Albus heard a prefect walking along the narrow corridor outside their compartment, knocking loudly on doors and announcing the ten minute warning to anyone who was paying attention. 

Ten minutes. 

Ten short minutes until the train pulled into Hogsmeade station and then a short carriage ride up the hill and his seventh and final year would officially start. It was all rather daunting. He still had no idea what he wanted to do with his life after he left school, despite every adult in his life badgering him about it constantly since the start of sixth year. He and Scorpius had often joked about running away and opening an animal sanctuary somewhere by the sea. He actually hated the seaside, but Scorpius loved it, so Albus had been willing to put up with a bit of sand and salty air for him. And the animals, of course.

“Come on, Al. Get your robe on, we’re almost there,” urged Rose, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He glanced around the compartment and quickly realised he was the only one still in muggle wear. Mumbling a thanks to Rose, he stood to retrieve his robes from his trunk. He had to stand on tiptoes to reach the clasp since his short-arse father had been kind enough to hand his short-arse genes down to him (James and Lily had both been ‘cursed’ with willowy statures and graceful, long legs, whereas Albus felt like he resembled a dumpy, raven-haired potato), but he finally succeeded, yanking the robe down and throwing it over the top of his t-shirt and jeans. He’d change properly at school, if anyone commented—he wasn’t about to get his legs out in front of everyone.

“Hey, you hear from Cass at all over the summer?” Rose asked as he ran his fingers through his hair to try and tame it.

“Um, a bit, yeah. Why?” he replied cautiously.

Cass, a Hufflepuff from the year below, must have sent him over fifteen owls, each one carrying a missive that was more like an essay than a letter. He didn’t think Rose needed to know that though. He’d replied to a couple, but her next owl would often arrive as he was still working out what to reply to the previous one so he ended up having to start the whole process again.

“No reason. She’s cute, no?” Rose smirked.

He frowned as Lisa smothered a near-hysterical giggle behind her hand. “She’s alright, i suppose?” 

Why did Rose think he wanted to know that, and why did Lisa, and now Grace, look like they were about to explode?

“So…?” Rose prompted.

“’ _ So _ ’ what?” Albus said, starting to feel a bit exasperated at the whole ridiculous conversation.

“Oh my god. How are you this dense? I thought you were supposed to be the smart Potter!  _ So _ , are you going to ask her out?”

“Or have you asked her out already?” Lisa added with a squeal.

Ah. Albus stared at them, unsure of how best to proceed. He’d had something of a personal revelation over the summer. Well. It had been coming a lot longer than that, but it hadn’t been until the summer just gone, when he’d been unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of his god brother Teddy’s arse as he pratted around in the pool with James, that his brain had finally worked it all out. Albus now knew, without doubt, that he was quite definitely gay; he’d just not gotten around to telling anyone else yet.

“Oh, um. She’s not really my type. And anyway, I need to focus on my schoolwork this year. No time for a girlfriend,” he chuckled, nervously. 

“Albuuuuuus!” exclaimed all three girls simultaneously.

“You can’t abandon love for homework!” cried Lisa, ever the impractical romantic. 

“I’d hardly call it love. I barely know her!” he rebutted. For some reason, the three girls he was sharing a compartment with had taken an active interest in his lack of a love life some time in fifth year. All it had gotten him, though, was a couple of overly wet snogs and an awkward under-the-shirt fumble. Unfortunately, his complete failure at social interactions of any kind only seemed to spur them on. He thought the gay thing might earn him a short reprieve, but he’d have to work up the courage to tell them for that excuse to work…and then they’d probably try and set him up with every single boy they could find, regardless of their sexual preference.

“Oh Al, you  _ are _ useless. Good job you have us to help out,” smirked Grace.

“Yeah, lucky me. My own trio of hags.” He yelped as three different hands collided with three different parts of his body. Thankfully he was saved from further assault by the train pulling to a halt at the station. If Scorpius were here, he would have laughed at his hags comment, Albus thought sullenly.

* * *

 

Albus flopped down onto his bed with a relieved huff. The Welcome feast had dragged on and on, as usual, but at least the food was good. It made a nice change from having to pretend to enjoy his Dad’s or Uncle Ron’s strange culinary experiments. 

It was so good to be back in his dorm after such a long break; he was really going to miss it when he left at the end of the year. The bed might be on the small side, and the mattress had a weird musty odour that no amount of freshening or laundry charms could fix, but it was  _ his _ bed—something he’d never had to share with James, or Lily, or any of his cousins. 

He propped himself up on his elbows so he could involve himself better with the conversation his dorm mates were having and, out of habit, glanced over at Scorpius’ old bed. It was strange to think he’d not slept in it for over three years, but everyone still referred to it as Scorpius’. Occasionally, when he was feeling particularly low, Albus would curl up in it and draw the curtains around himself to shut out the world, although that happened less and less as the years passed. Initially it had still smelled like Scorpius, and he took comfort from the familiarity of his scent. The smell had obviously long since gone now, but he still found his way over there some nights. 

He turned his attention back to Thibault, Alfie, and Jacob who were in the midst of a discussion about swim-wear that they’d started over dinner, when his brain finally caught up with something his eyes had grazed over. 

There was a trunk at the end of Scorpius’ bed.

Albus leapt from his mattress as if he’d been hexed, and then stood, frozen to the spot. The initials  _ S.H.M. _ were clearly visible on one end, and as he leant closer, he could see the name  _ Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy _ engraved in a graceful, looping, script on a gold coloured plate below the lock. 

Was this a trick? Was someone playing a prank on him?

“Eveything okay?” Thibault asked hesitantly when Albus rounded on him.

“Who did this?” he ground out, pointing at the trunk.

“Who did what?” Alfie asked, peering over Albus’ shoulder. “Oh, a trunk! Have we got a new room mate?”

“It’s Scorpius’!” Albus yelled, not in the mood for politeness. Someone was messing with him, and it was a very cruel prank indeed.

“What?!” The other three boys jumped off their beds and rushed to get a closer look at the trunk. In the same moment, there was a click as the door to their dormitory opened, and all four of them turned as one to see who was there.

“Hi,” Scorpius smiled, raising a hand and wiggling his fingers in a sheepish  _ hello _ . “Miss me?”

It was as if everything had stopped, faded to black, ceased to exist. Albus wasn’t even sure he remembered how to breathe. 

Scorpius was back.

He watched with detached curiosity as Alfie, Jacob, and Thibault swarmed him; hugging, back patting, hand shaking. They were probably speaking too, greeting each other after three long years apart—not that any of them had ever cared that much when Scorpius was here—but Albus couldn’t hear anything beyond the blood thrumming in his ears. 

Scorpius was  _ really _ back.

Scorpius’ eyes kept finding Albus, but he made no move to get closer. Maybe he couldn’t because of the other boys. Maybe he was being polite and didn’t want to leave mid-conversation. He always used to be polite, but that was three years ago. He looked different now; taller, much taller; broader across the chest; skin sun-kissed and lightly freckled; pale hair artfully mussed and glowing like a halo around his head in the lamp light. He even had a lip piercing. He looked…good— _ very _ good—and like he hadn’t suffered in the slightest from being away from Albus.

Why hadn’t he told Albus he was coming back? Why had  _ no one _ told him? Somebody had to have known — Longbottom, for example. People couldn’t just turn up and start school without the Headmaster knowing. 

Why had NO ONE told him?

The flames in the sconces flared momentarily and all eyes in the room turned to Albus. 

“I have to go,” he said. Or maybe he didn’t actually say anything. He wasn’t sure. He definitely left the room though; he heard the door swing shut behind him.

_ Fuck _ .

Scorpius was back at Hogwarts. It was what he had yearned for more than anything else for three long, lonely years, and yet, now it had happened, Albus couldn’t bare to be in the same room as him.

* * *

 

Albus spent the first few weeks of term actively avoiding Scorpius. He’d leave a room when he entered whenever possible; he’d blank him if they walked past each other in the corridor; he’d pretend not to hear him when he spoke at meal times. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, he watched Scorpius keenly, observing him from afar. He told himself it was because he wanted to memorise Scorpius’ routines so he could avoid him more easily, but in reality it was more that he could keep his eyes off him. 

Scorpius had returned a different person, and he’d obviously left his friendship with Albus in the past. 

As much as Albus tried to convince himself that he was okay with Scorpius having moved on, it hurt. Rose had told him to talk to Scorpius, but it was clear that Scorpius didn’t want to talk to  _ him _ ; and why would he? He had everyone hanging off his every word. He sudden reappearance had given him an air of mystery that drew people to him, and the lip ring gave him a vaguely dangerous edge that his adoring fans seemed to love. On top of that, he was drop dead gorgeous, and, as Albus had discovered through the gossip mills, very, very gay. Every girl in Hogwarts wanted to be Scorpius’ best friend, and the boys seemed torn between wanting to be him or fuck him.

“I know you’re a Slytherin, but green is  _ not _ a good colour on you,” Rose said, sliding into the chair beside him. It was a bright, clear Saturday in early October, but rather than congregating on the grass by the lake with the rest of the student body, Albus was in the library. He wasn’t hiding, but he was still annoyed to have been found. If he’d wanted to be social, he’d have been in the grounds with the rest of the sun-seekers and lay-abouts. Like Scorpius, who was no doubt holding court in front of his small army of fans, flexing his stupid muscles or flicking that ridiculous fringe off his eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Albus grumbled, without looking up from the very dry Potions textbook he was pretending to read.

“If you think you’re being subtle with your staring, you’re not, just so you know. I can feel the jealousy coming off you in waves. Why won’t you just talk to him?”

“He doesn’t want to talk to me. He’s too busy with his fan club.” The end of his quill split as he jabbed angrily at the parchment. Rose hadn’t mentioned Scorpius for at least a couple of weeks now, and he’d almost fooled himself into believing she was ready to drop the topic completely.

“Boys!” she cried exasperatedly. “Of course he wants to talk to you—you’ve not exactly been making it easy for him though. You pretty much run in the opposite direction whenever he so much as looks at you.” When Albus said nothing, Rose sighed and reached across him, slamming the textbook shut. “You were  _ best friends _ , doesn’t that mean anything?”

“Of course it does! But he left, Rose! He left me without saying anything and then returns looking all…all…different and acting different…and I just…he doesn’t need me. He’s changed.”

“Is it because he’s gay?” 

“What? No! That’s… no. Just drop it, okay?”

“Fine.” Rose made no move to leave. She sat there glaring into space with her arms folded across her chest, so he was fairly certain she wasn’t going to ‘ _ drop it _ ’. Huffing out a frustrated breath, Albus reached forward and opened his textbook again. Pretending to work was slightly more interesting than picking at his fingernails.

“Are  _ you _ gay?”

Albus spun to face her so quickly, his neck cracked. “What!?” What had he done to give her that impression? He’d not even told  _ anyone _ yet—over the summer, when everything had become apparent, he’d imagined having Scorpius to talk to about it with…but then Scorpius had returned and stolen his gay thunder, and he’d not gotten around to saying anything to the few friends he had.

“I thought for a bit that you were jealous of Scorpius being this super-confident sex god, but you’re not jealous of him are you? You’re jealous of everyone he talks to and flirts with. You’re in love with Scorpius!” Rose cried proudly.

“Shhhhhhhh! Shut up!” he shrieked, clamping a sweaty hand over her mouth. 

“Oh my god. It’s true, isn’t it?”

Albus ducked his head down and crossed his arms over his head, his forehead pressing uncomfortably against the hard table. “Please don’t tell anyone,” he mumbled.

“I think you’re an idiot, but I’m not cruel, Al. Please, just promise me you’ll talk to him before writing him off for good?” He felt Rose wrap her arms around him and kiss the back of his head, and he couldn’t hold back any longer; for the first time since Scorpius returned, he cried. The tears ran unbidden down his cheeks as she stroked his back and whispered soft reassurances into his hair, spattering the parchment and ruining what little work he’d actually managed.

* * *

 

The trees had shed most of their leaves before anything changed. Days were cold, nights colder still, and rain was an almost constant presence, and Albus was yet to say even two words to Scorpius. Rose had thankfully not said anything more to him, as if his little breakdown had never happened, but she kept giving him a  _ look _ that more than adequately conveyed her thoughts. At least she and her coven of hags had stopped trying to set him up with every girl who caught their attention, so one positive had come of it.

Albus was prodding a bit of apple pie crust around his plate at the end of dinner one day when everyone around him fell suspiciously silent. He looked up, quizzically, and saw Thibault, Alfie, and a few others nervously looking over his shoulder. He frowned and slowly turned around, his mind frantically churning through all the possibilities; was it a teacher he’d forgotten to complete homework for? A bully out for revenge? His dad?

Scorpius. 

_Of course_ it was Scorpius.  

He looked more like his old self as he shifted from foot to foot, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. Albus wanted to turn back around and ignore him, but he was curious. So he glared up at him and hoped his impatience was obvious.

“Can we talk?” Scorpius asked hesitantly. 

Albus wondered why he was choosing to approach him in the Great Hall, rather than in the common room or the dorm where there would be a bit more privacy, but then it occurred to him that Scorpius probably wanted witnesses in case Albus freaked out. Well. He was right to be worried, thought Albus.

“Please?”

“Whatever,” Albus shrugged.

Scorpius sagged with relief, the corners of his lips quirking up in a faint, tremulous smile. “Um, we could take a walk perhaps? It’s not that cold, but I’m pretty good with a warming charm so we’ll be okay.”

Albus threw a worried glance over to Rose at the Gryffindor table, not surprised in the slightest that she was watching them both closely. She smiled and nodded her encouragement, so he reluctantly pushed himself up from the table. 

Even though they shared a dorm, this would be the first time he and Scorpius were alone together since he had left, and Albus was terrified. He trailed behind Scorpius on shaky legs, ignoring the whispers and stares that followed them out of the hall; it was no secret that he and Scorpius hadn’t spoken all term. No one knew why, but as with anything, there were plenty of rumours.

The wind whipped at their cloaks as they stepped out of the entrance hall, and Albus wrapped his arms around himself to try and preserve some body heat, before feeling the telltale tingle of a magic so familiar, it was like his own. The warmth trickled slowly down his body like treacle, starting at the top of his head, and was accompanied by a satisfied shudder as it hit his spine. It was more than just the warmth though, it was the feel of Scorpius magic playing across his skin. Albus was almost annoyed with his body at how eagerly it had accepted the foreign magic, but he supposed it was like muscle memory. Scorpius was more powerful than Albus remembered, but his magical core was the same, and his own magic welcomed Scorpius’ back with open arms.

Scorpius didn’t wait for a ‘thank you’, correctly assuming that one wouldn’t be forthcoming. Instead, he offered Albus a small, uncertain smile before setting off across the grass towards the lake. He didn’t check to see if Albus was following, though. Albus scowled at the uncharacteristic display of arrogance, and was tempted to return to the common room just to make a point, but once again, curiosity won out. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, for lack of anything better to do with them, and then stomped after Scorpius’ retreating shape. He was prepared to listen to what Scorpius had to say, but he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d be able to forgive him—no one who had seen Albus at his lowest points in fourth year would blame him.

The lake looked black and lifeless in the fading light. Waves rippled across its surface and broke with a whisper over the shingle on the shore. Scorpius was stood close to the edge, staring towards the horizon when Albus caught up with him. His hands were hidden in the pockets of his expensive looking robes, keeping the material from lifting too much in the wind, but his hair swirled about his head; the fine, slivery strands no match for the autumnal Scottish evening. 

“I’m sorry,” Scorpius said softly, without taking his eyes off the distant mountains. 

Albus would have given anything to hear those words three years ago, but now they sounded empty. Too much time had passed, both since his disappearance and since his sudden reappearance for those words to be anywhere near sufficient.

“It destroyed me when you left,” he stated after a pause, mirroring Scorpius’ position. “I thought we were best friends. Why did you leave me? That whole summer, we…we…we made so many plans! You never even said—” Albus cut himself off and blinked hard. He didn’t want to cry. Not now. Those tears he shed in the relative privacy of the library were enough. Scorpius didn’t deserve to see him break down.

Scorpius turned to face him, but when Albus refused to meet his eyes, he stepped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders. He looked distraught and what little light was left reflected off fat tears rolling down his cheeks. “I swear, I didn’t want to leave, Al. You have to believe me. I didn’t even know about it until the morning we left! Father didn’t tell me anything!”

“But where did you go? I thought you’d died or something! No one would tell me where you were, and all my owls were returned unopened!”

“Father enrolled me at Durmstrang. Apparently there were threats made on my life, so I wasn’t allowed to contact anyone and I had to wear a glamour everyday. But I swear I wrote to you all the time, even though I was never allowed to send the letters. I missed you so much, Al. I never wanted to hurt you. Please, you have to believe me.”

Albus squeezed his eyes shut. It all sounded so…convenient, but could it be true? “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back then? Surely you’re not still in danger if they let you back?”

Scorpius winced. “I…I was scared. The people who were after me got sentenced to Azkaban in the spring, and Father said I could return to Hogwarts for seventh year if I wanted.”

“So you’ve been able to contact me since the Spring, and just  _ didn’t bother _ ?” Albus spat.

“I didn’t know what to say! I thought you’d hate me!” Scorpius cried. “I almost didn’t come back for that reason,” he added quietly, avoiding Albus’ gaze and studying the damp grass at his feet instead.

“But you didn’t even give me a chance!”

“I know, okay! I did everything wrong, but it’s done now. I can’t undo it. But please, I need you—I miss you. You’re everything to me, Al.”

Tears streamed down Albus’ cheeks, hot and angry. He  _ hated  _ Scorpius. Hated him like he’d never hated anyone before and the hate raged and roiled inside him with no outlet. He wanted to scream; he wanted to punch Scorpius in his stupidly perfect face. But he also missed him, so, so much, and never wanted to let him go.

His hands moved before he knew what he was going to do, reaching up, fingers curling around the back of Scorpius’ head, and the split second before their lips connected Albus still thought he might knee Scorpius in the face. But he didn’t. He channelled all his anger and hurt and passion into the kiss, pressing so hard against Scorpius’ lips, it was almost painful. But then Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus’ back, pulling him closer, and tilted his head to slot their mouths together more comfortably. He opened his mouth, deepening the kiss and Albus fell into it, the hurt and anger fizzling out, to be replaced by desperation, longing, and desire. 

Even through the tears and the snot, it was better than any of his previous attempts at kissing. 

“Don’t ever leave me again,” he whispered when they broke for air.

“Never. I’m never letting you go, Al,” Scorpius whispered back.

The moon was high in the sky, but neither boy made any move to leave the lakeside. They clung to each other, exchanging kisses, secrets, and promises until the sky started to lighten again and exhaustion forced them back inside. Albus fell asleep wrapped securely in Scorpius’ arms, and for the first time in a long while, he was excited for what the next day would bring.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Find me on tumblr @ [coriesocks](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/coriesocks)


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